Flipping the Script
Megan Donahue ’25 initially refused to consider studying abroad. The English major and aspiring screenwriter was so happy on campus that she couldn't imagine flying the Nest for a semester away from her friends and professors.
But looking back on her time at Endicott, studying abroad at the Umbra Institute in Perugia, Italy, last spring was her smartest decision.
“I thought about the opportunity and realized that there probably won't be another time in my life when I can afford to spend four months exploring another country,” Donahue said. “The best part is that I paid my regular tuition besides a $500 study abroad fee. Endicott makes studying abroad very accessible.”
Before setting foot in Italy, Donahue’s experience leaving the U.S. was limited to a cruise to Mexico and Jamaica. Intro Italian language courses and a solid orientation from Endicott’s Study Abroad program gave her some idea of what to expect. But nothing could have prepared her for the adjustment to life in a small Italian town.
Culture shock hit hard: “I was jet-lagged and homesick and only spoke a bit of Italian. To get around the city, I had to start speaking—and in between, I was taking intensive Italian courses.”
Finding the right words to navigate the city solo took her three weeks. But visiting Northern Italy outside Perugia got Donahue into the right headspace. It built her confidence in her ability to use her Italian to navigate transportation to Lake Garda, the most beautiful place she’d seen.
“From that point on, I enjoyed studying abroad,” she admitted.
From the course on female Italian saints and Roman Catholic mysticism to the weekend trips to seven other European capitals, the semester flew by.
“In Italy, I learned how to stress less and adjust to new situations and experiences,” Donahue said.
Back at Endicott, Donahue had already begun paving her own way for a future career as a film screenwriter. “I started getting into film in high school and realized early on that I wanted to be the one writing the stories,” she said.
Her advisor, bestselling novelist, and Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing, Elizabeth Winthrop, played a leading role in her Endicott experience.
“Professor Winthrop is my rock—she's just incredible,” Donahue said. “She always sits down with me to offer advice, and during her short fiction writing workshop, I began to build a writing portfolio and develop confidence in my writing.”
Winthrop and Donahue’s other professors encouraged her to apply for a rigorous semester-long internship at the New York Film Academy, which she attended for the fall 2024 semester.
“New York was very daunting, but because I went to Italy, I overcame my fears and decided to come here,” she said.
The course was demanding. Donahue took a 12-credit internship class where she learned hands-on screenwriting skills. She was also tasked with writing two feature-length scripts in just one semester, in addition to the 20 hours per week of instruction on storytelling technique, acting, and feature writing.
She knows the hard work will pay off. “I like to think we’re all here in this city to chase after something.”
For Donahue, that’s breaking into the screenwriting world, so she attended industry events all over Manhattan to network. At NewFest, the annual LGBTQ+ film festival, she met actors at a star-studded afterparty. “It was more than just a party—it was about meeting industry professionals and marketing myself to get my name out there,” Donahue said.
Soon, she’ll be ready to enter the scene as a writer. In fact, Donahue just finished writing her first feature screenplay.
It’s a story about a dancer who returns to New York City after receiving a call from a lawyer notifying her that a relative has died and left her an inheritance. “The twist is that when she gets there, they’d called the wrong person,” Donahue explained.
She’d previously lived in Manhattan, training in a high-pressure dance program, quit, and ran away from dancing. “The journey is actually about her overcoming past trauma and returning to New York to dance.”
Donahue started this script just as she had begun each of her previous pieces—using a technique inspired by Winthrop’s class.
“Before I do anything, I write a short story about the topic I want to make a script about. From there, the story’s arc from beginning to end, and the characters just jump off the page at me.”
Before coming to NYFA, she constantly got in her own way by asking: “Am I any good at this?”
But after the study abroad experience and deep-diving into writing this semester, Donahue said she’s stopped questioning her own worth. “I'm going to continue building my career and just keep going,” she said. “Going to Italy made me a much more adaptable person.”